1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game device displaying a plurality of characters, whose respective movements are mutually associated, simultaneously, on a single screen. In particular, it relates to game devices wherein, when a character operated by a player in a fighting game makes a sudden intrusion, this character is displayed appearing from a particular position having a prescribed relationship with respect to the character being intruded upon, or alternatively, game devices where, in a participatory type of game, a character is displayed joining the game on the screen, whilst the game is in progress.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fighting games for enacting combat between characters displayed on a monitor screen by controlling the movements of the respective characters are played widely on game devices.
Fighting games of this kind provide a first game mode, wherein one player controls a first character displayed on the monitor screen and fights against a second character controlled by control means in the game device, and a second game mode, wherein a fighting game is played by two different players respectively controlling the first and second characters displayed on the monitor screen.
When implementing the second game mode, apart from cases where two different players play a combat game from the beginning, there are also cases where, initially, a single player is controlling a first character displayed on the monitor screen and playing a combat game against a second character controlled by the control means, according to the first game mode, during the course of which, a further player joins in the game and controls the second character, in place of the control means, thereby executing a fighting game according to the second mode.
Executing a fighting game according to this second mode also involves the second player making a sudden intrusion into the fight when he or she joins the game. In this case, the player joining the fighting game during the course of the game is called the intruder and the player on the receiving end of this new participation in the fighting game is called the intruded party.
FIG. 6 is shows a mode of sudden intrusion in a fighting game of this kind. In FIG. 6, it may be supposed that the characters a, b, c depicted are characters engaged in a fight with characters controlled by control means in the game device, according to the first game mode described above, or that they are characters already being operated by another player, according to the second game mode.
In either of these cases, a situation arises where a player makes a sudden intrusion, in other words, he or she joins in the fighting game. In this case, the player joins the fighting game by inputting a sudden intrusion request display signal, by using input means attached to the game device main unit (not illustrated). Upon detecting this signal, the game device causes a character A controlled by the player wishing to make a sudden intrusion, on the monitor screen.
In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the display method adopted hitherto involves a dramatic display wherein the character A drops down from the sky on the monitor screen. This type of display method creates a display which is unnatural in the context of the game.
At the same time, this method may also create a situation where one of the players involved in the game finds it easier to control his or her character than the other player, in other words, it creates conditions which are respectively advantageous and disadvantageous to the two players engaged in the fighting game. Consequently, the end of the fighting game may come inappropriately quickly, and hence the players may lose interest in the fighting game itself.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game device, whereby, when displaying an image of a character operated by a player making a sudden intrusion in a fighting game, this intruder character can be displayed in a manner which avoids creating an unnatural effect.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, one aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling the movements on a display screen of at least one character of a plurality of characters displayed on a display device, according to operations implemented by a player, and executing a game in association with the movements of other characters, comprising the steps of: executing and controlling a game program; developing a game according to the execution of the game program and storing and holding the co-ordinates of a plurality of specific locations in the scene displayed on the display screen; acquiring the co-ordinate position of a character displayed on the display screen receiving an entrance by another character, when an entrance request for a character is detected; and displaying the character being controlled by the player as making an appearance as a entering character from a specific location corresponding to a co-ordinate position having a particular relationship with respect to the co-ordinate position of the character receiving an entrance, from amongst the stored and held plurality of specific locations.
A further aspect of the invention is a method for executing a game as described above, wherein the co-ordinate position of the specific location corresponding to a co-ordinate position having a particular relationship with respect to the co-ordinate position of the character receiving an entrance is a co-ordinate position which is in the vicinity of the co-ordinate position of the character receiving the entrance and separated by a prescribed distance or more from the character receiving the entrance.
A further aspect of the invention is a method for executing a game as described above, wherein the entering character is a character which engages in combat with the character receiving the entrance, the display of which is controlled in accordance with the operations implemented by the player.
Other aspects of the present invention shall become evident from the embodiment of the present invention as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.